Microsoft appoints ex-Nokia CEO Stephen Elop as head of Xbox

Julie Larson-Green becomes chief experience officer at My Life and Work team in the firm's Applications and Services group

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Microsoft has officially appointed former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop as the head of its Devices and Studios division.

As reported by TechCrunch, Elop replaces executive VP Julie Larson-Green in the role, who had been leading the division following Don Mattrick's exit to Zynga last year.

She will now lead the My Life and Work team in the firm's Applications and Services group as chief experience officer.

Elop's new role puts him in charge of the the company's games and entertainment studios, as well as the Xbox and Surface tablets.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me and supporting me as the leader of Devices & Studios over the past seven months," said Larson-Green in an internal memo.

"I’m very proud of what we have accomplished during such a short timeframe. We launched Xbox One, Surface 2 & Pro 2, blockbuster games like Forza and Ryse, a brand new Xbox Music and Video service, PPI, and some amazing unannounced innovations just to name a few – incredibly impressive."

She added: "You are all in great hands with Stephen and already we’ve shared a lot with him and his LT from Nokia regarding all of the fantastic people, teams and products in DnS. I also know many of you are looking forward to welcoming the Nokia team and working more closely with them."

Before Microsoft's appointment of Satya Nadella as CEO, Elop had been touted as a replacement for Steve Ballmer.